House of Anubis Trilogy, Book 1: The Chosen One
by Reyna Lunam
Summary: Nina Martin is a new student at Harper Liverpool Academy where she is overwhelmed with the task of making new friends, proving her innocence to Patricia, and unlocking the mysteries to Joy's disappearance and the secrets hidden in the House of Anubis.
1. Newcomer

Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis.

A/N: To my older fans, here's the new and re-edited version of Chapter 1. It repeats a bit but there are small changes. You can get the sense it's a "Nina" sort of chapter, right? Oh, and by the way, Alfie and Jerome still switched their names. I just indicated who was speaking with parentheses instead of quotation marks. I found it easier for the eyes.

To my newer fans, I hope you enjoy this chapter. And "..." means its a new scene. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

To both my older and newer fans, remember to review! I love to read your comments. And also, remember to add me to your list of alerts or favorite me or the story for more updates.

- Reyna... who is on the run.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: NEWCOMER**

"Nina! Are you awake? It's time for breakfast, dear!"

Her sapphire blue eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. It was her first day back from visiting old friends and family relatives. Pulling the bed sheets off of her body, she replied, "Give me a minute, Gran!" Nina stood up from her bed and stared at herself in the full sized mirror across her room.

Her recent vacation to Florida left her skin lightly tanned. Her wavy, blond hair reached the middle of her back, and she debated whether or not she wanted her hair shorter. Shrugging at her undecided thought, she pulled her hair into a low ponytail. Nina walked over to her dresser and pulled out the first things her hands touched.

As Nina descended down the stairs, she deeply inhaled the aroma that filled the air. Her stomach growled. Airplane food had not sated her appetite from the night before, but she was so exhausted from her trip that sleepiness conquered hunger.

"Good morning, Gran," she greeted as she walked into the kitchen, "Breakfast smells wonderful." Nina leaned in to give her grandmother a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing a clean plate from the dishwasher and eagerly piled her plate with her grandmother's cooking.

"Oh thank you, honey. I was in a mood for a homely breakfast which includes buttery scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and fluffy pancakes."

Nina seated herself at the dining room table, taking notice of the sorted piles of mail.

"We sure got a lot of mail," Nina commented, shoving a spoonful of eggs in her mouth.

"I went to go check our mailbox after my daily morning exercise, and I was also surprised by how much mail we received. I figured it was either something good...or bad."

Gran patted her hands dry on the apron she wore around her waist after placing the dirty pans in the dishwasher. She grabbed her favorite coffee mug that read "#1 GRANDMA", a gift given to her by Nina, and seated herself next to her.

"It was good," her grandmother continued, "So good that I have to talk to you about a special one."

"Which one?" Nina asked, fingering through the letters quickly in her search until she came across a manila envelope with her full name in bold letters.

"It's an acceptance letter from the boarding school your parents wanted you to go to, Abriana."

Nina immediately lifted her questioning gaze and stared at her grandmother's use of her full name. Her grandmother never used her full name unless something serious and important was needed to be said. Something she needed to pay close attention to. Growing up, Nina witnessed this event two times (not including now): the first time was when her body began to change, and the second time was when delivering the news of the death of her parents.

"You're a week and a half late but it's only because your home school schedule doesn't match other schools like this one. The school holds-"

"But Gran! What about you? I can't just leave you alone!" Nina interrupted in protest.

A few pieces of scrambled eggs flew out of her mouth. Her grandmother presented her with a napkin which Nina quickly took and wiped her lips.

Her grandmother laughed at her flushed expression which resulted into a coughing fit. After recovering and regaining the ability to breathe, she smiled and shook her head.

"My dear. I may be old, but I am still a strong woman." She only wished that her deceased son and his wife were present to see how developed their daughter had become.

"And you aren't leaving me completely alone. The man at the library-"

"The one who is always helping you find your James Patterson books?"

"Yes! That's the one. He will be keeping me company after discovering that he only lives a few houses down." Gran winked at her granddaughter, "It still looks like I know how to woo a man. When I was complaining about how I needed help with cleaning the attic, he sweetly offered to help me. Then, he declared that he was better at Word Search than me and, well, that hit a nerve."

But as Nina's grandmother continued to speak about how she had a good eye and how she wanted to see the look on his face when she would win, Nina silently re-read the letter in her hand.

_Dear Abriana E. Martin,_

_You have been accepted to Harper Liverpool Academy, one of United Kingdom's finest boarding schools and ranked as one of the top three most educated schools in the country._

_Harper Liverpool Academy was founded by Robert Harper in the 19th century whom had a desire to build a school of his own despite the lack of money he had to profit it. His desire and the aid of others is what drove his goal to become accomplished. Harper Liverpool Academy currently resides in Robert Harper Forest. To this day, the school has been thriving, and more and more students world wide join each year. The school has adapted to suit your needs and to help improve your education._

_Students are assorted by their grade, and they live in individual houses named after Gods and Goddesses from Egyptian mythology. In honor of Robert Harper and his passionate interest in Egyptian mythology, the naming of the houses has been a tradition stuck with us for a several decades. _

_You will live in the Anubis House which contained seven other tenth grade students, a house mother, and a caretaker. It would be wise to abide by the House rules and the school's rules. The rest of the information needed are in the following papers. Your test results are impressive and have caught the attention of the school staff, vice principal, and myself as well. We will be paying for your flight here as a welcome gift. If you have any questions, my contact number is below._

_Sincerely, _

_Eric Sweet  
Principal of Harper Liverpool Academy  
Office number: 151.123.4567_

Gran had stopped speaking when she realized that her granddaughter was reading and reached out to give her granddaughter's shoulder a reassuring squeeze while Nina finished the last sentences of the letter.

"It's very hard to get into that school, and you're such an intelligent young lady," Gran gently offered, "Plus you'll make new friends and maybe even a _boyfriend_."

Nina looked up from the letter to meet her grandmother's gaze and forced a smile on her face as her grandmother emphasized the word "boyfriend". Although she felt confused on how she felt, she didn't want to disappoint her grandmother.

"I'll do it or you, Gran...and for Mom and Dad."

Her grandmother pulled Nina in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, and happily murmured, "That's my granddaughter."

…

_Five Days Later_

The antiquated interior of the Anubis House was just as beautiful as the outside. Nina was used to antiques or old-fashioned styles since she was surrounded by that type when raised by her grandmother. The sudden thought made her feel homesick and it took a lot of mental force to dismiss the feeling. _This is a new school, Nina. New impression. New friends. New life. This will be exciting, _she thought to herself.

"Abriana Martin."

Nearly jumping out of her skin at the stern tone of the booming voice. She looked up to see a middle aged man in his early forties incline down the stairs with his polished black dress shoes echoing in eeriness with each step. He wore a dark trench coat, a black vest over a well ironed white button up, and a think black tie around his neck collar. He had facial hair similar to what a desperate magician would appear with. His black hair was slicked back in attempt to cover a bald spot and his beady dark eyes...

She visibly swallowed and fought the urge to take a few steps back.

"Please call me Nina."

"You are two weeks late," he said dismissively.

Nina lowered her gaze. "We didn't find about the scholarship until a week and a half later. My grandmother and I were on a vacation to visit-"

"I do not care for the reason," he sneered, "I find cursory time management completely unacceptable."

"Victor!" scolded a woman in vivid, bright clothing, "I told you to be warm and welcoming with the newcomer. Here I am going to check on your progress, and I see you doing quite the opposite." The woman hastily walked down the stairs, two steps at a time, and hopped off the last step.

From the corner of her eye, Nina could see how disappointed Victor was to continue with his verbal beating. Nina was inwardly grateful for the woman's timing.

"Hello, sweetheart! I'm your house mother, Trudy, and this grumpy old man is Victor, the caretaker and owner of this house."

"I'm Nina," she introduced. "It's a beautiful house. I bet it has a lot of stories since this whole school was founded a long time ago."

At this, Victor opened his mouth to explain the history of the house but Trudy was quick to cut him off.

"Victor, don't bore the girl to death. Girls are all about vampires now...or at least that's what Amber told me. I'm going to have her meet Alfie and Jerome in the kitchen while I finish preparing her room."

"Alfie and Jerome are in that kitchen for a reason, Trudy. They are not to be disturbed in what they are punished to do."

"Oh, sweetheart. It will only just be a second," Trudy insisted.

Victor grumbled under his breath, murmuring about how he didn't like being called "sweetheart". He walked back upstairs at a languid pace, and he demanded for silence before entering into his office.

Trudy giggled and whispered, "Sorry about that, lovely. I'm going to finish preparing your room. The boys are in the kitchen doing chores because they got in trouble. Feel free to tease them for me." After pinching Nina's cheek affectionately, she took a hold of Nina's luggage and headed upstairs where she dissapeared through a door.

Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she stiffly entered the living room which was connected to the kitchen and dining room. Nina instantly fell in love with the room and the aura that it held. The leather couches. The old painting. The crafted coffee table with a stuffed crocodile as décor? _Was that a VHS? Those things still exist?_

"Jerome, when are you going to do your part of the punishment? We both did it together. We both got caught together. So we both share the equal amount of labor."

"I thought we had a deal. We'll take turns taking shifts. Currently, I'm on my shift. I'll save you Trudy's muffins if you do five more minutes of my part."

"You can't bribe me! Wait. Are they blueberry?"

"She even bothered to put both blueberries and chocolate chip!"

Nina approached the kitchen and peered over the counter top. A lanky, blond haired guy leaned against the refrigerator door chewing his food with a devious grin. On the kitchen floor was a guy with dark skin and short, curly black hair. He was on his knees scrubbing the floor with two toothbrushes industriously.

"Woah," said the tall blond, finally taking notice of Nina's presence. "Were you standing there the whole time?"

"Not exactly. Uh, Trudy told me to introduce myself to some guys named Jerome and Alfie. I'm guessing that's you two."

The tall blond shared a glance with his friend who returned it with a mischievous expression.

"Well, congratulations. Your search has come to an end. I'm Alfie," said the blond, extending his free hand to shake. Something about him triggered a gut feeling that made Nina feel wary of him.

The one with the toothbrush stifled a laughter and stood up from the floor, "And I'm Jerome."

"I'm Nina," she lowered her gaze to the toothbrushes held in (Jerome's) hand. "What did you get in trouble for?"

"Victor, the creepy guy you probably alredy met and got on his bad side, can't take a joke and decided to give us this cruel punishment. I definitely plead the eighth amendment," spoke (Jerome).

"Um, the eighth amendment is in the United _State_'_s_ Bill of Rights.. so you can't really plead the eighth since you're in England."

(Alfie) studied Nina with interest. "American and a smarty pants. Looks like I've found out who I'm going to be cheating off of in History."

"So you're the newcomer Trudy told us about? What brings you here to Liverpool?" asked (Jerome), secretly taking a muffin from behind (Alfie's) back.

She shrugged modestly, "Scholarship."

Before they could continue with their conversation, a voice bellowed, "Lewis and Clark! Get back to work."

_Lewis and Clark? They must be best friends because of that_.

(Jerome) and (Alfie) groaned simultaneously.

"That's our cue," muttered (Jerome).

Nina smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you both. I had better go check up with Trudy anyway. See you guys around."

As soon as Nina exited the room, Alfie punched Jerome in the arm.

"What! What was that for?" mumbled Jerome with a mouthful of food.

"You said the muffin had blueberries and chocolate chips!"

"How would you know?"

Alfie tossed the remaining pieces of the muffin in his mouth and grinned.

"Impressive. Hey, what are you going to do about Amber? I thought you had some amazing plan to get her, Mr. Smooth."

"Well, I did. But after hearing her obsess over her upcoming one year anniversary with Mick... I figured the scales tipped."

"Mr. Smooth is giving up?" asked Jerome in mock surprise. He smiled and patted Alfie on the back. "No worries, mate. I've got the perfect idea."

...

Nina walked up the stairs, paying no attention to the creakiness of the floorboards. Her mind was preoccupied. When she reached the top step, she saw that the hallway leaded to Victor's office at one end and the other door was the entrance of the girls' dorms. Upon entering, Nina spotted Trudy outside in the hall, closing a door.

"There you are! I was just about to fetch you. Your room is all ready, dear. I'll give you a few minutes to look around, and I'll come back to get you for supper. The others should be back from school soon."

Trudy walked past Nina, patting her on the shoulder before heading downstairs.

Squaring her shoulders, Nina exhaled deeply. She closed her eyes and extended her fingers until the tips touched the door knob to turn it. _Others_, she thought to herself. The door opened and her eyes fluttered open. The door started off opening enough for Nina to peek inside. Then, the door swung open at full length and she walked in observing the posters and pictures that dominated one side of the walls.

As Nina walked over to the covered wall, a collage of an auburn haired girl and a brown haired girl laughing and holding each other in a tight embrace drew her attention out of everything on the wall. The letters BFF were entitled on the top. _Best Friend_, she mused, _I'm hoping you're right, Gran. But I always shared everything with you and that seemed to suffice._

She observed the other images on the wall and smiled at the copied and pasted picture of Edward Cullen from Twilight with his arm around the same brown haired girl in the collage. Nina approached her empty bed and sat down, taking in the details of her dorm and pondering over what she wanted on her side of the wall.

One of her suitcases lay beside her, and Nina bent over to unzip the top pocket where she pulled out a picture frame of her grandmother. In the corner of her picture frame was an attached photo of her mother and father.

"The other students are here," said Trudy who popped her head inside of the room, "You should meet them. They're a lovely bunch."

Nina set the frame aside on her bed table but was hesitant to move.

Trudy opened the door wide enough for her figure to enter and sat down on the bed next to her. "Is something the matter, sweetheart?"

"I'm nervous," she admitted, "I'm the new kid. They all know each other, and they've all got their own groups. I'll just be the new kid that they'll probably ignore."

"Don't be nervous. I'm positive they'll be more welcoming than Victor. And if they don't warm you up, then my cooking will certainly will."

A smile tugged the corners of her lips upon Trudy's optimism.

Trudy stood up from the bed and gestured towards the door with an encouraging smile. "Come on. I'll even help you with your introduction."

...


	2. Suspicions

Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis.

A/N: To my older fans, this chapter also repeats a bit, but the end has more details added. Scary Patricia! Oh, and Chapter 3 will finally be something different for you guys. There are high possibilities that there will be a "Fabina" moment there. Heads up!

To my newer fans, how are you guys holding up?

To both my older and newer fans, remember that reviews unlock the next chapter. I really appreciate and admire your patience. And a little note, I add more personality to the characters. For example, Patricia will be more aggressive. Jerome will be more sinister. I hope you guys like my rendition. Enjoy!

-Reyna...who is on the run!

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: SUSPICIONS**

_Before Nina's Arrival – Same Day_

Placing his school uniform jacket on the ground, he crouched down to sit on it. He slung the handle to his school bag off his neck, placed it behind him, and breathed in the cool morning air. A slight breeze ruffled his short, cropped brown hair that fell above his eyebrows.

"Doesn't someone look serene."

He craned his neck to the voice behind him, and he immediately knew who he was looking at as soon as his dark blue eyes recognized the half smile-half smirk on her face. Something was different about her. His gaze noticed the neon blue and pink streak that stood out from her dark auburn hair.

"Hey Patricia," he greeted as she settled on the ground next to him.

She wore her usual school uniform like everyone else did but some, like Patricia, had their own style to it. He liked that there was a diversity to the garments they wore. He didn't want to wear the exact same thing everyone else did.

For Patricia, she wore a white half sleeved button up shirt, a dark red and gold striped tie, a gray skirt that barely touched her knees like it was supposed to, black lace tights with patterns of interlaced roses, and a pair of dirty, faded leather boots. What really stood out was her arm. It was covered with different bracelets. He didn't know how she could write with so many on her arms.

"Fabian, what did you get on question 12 on that French exam? Was it A? I can't remember and I still have to finish up a few of those test corrections."

Her shoulders slouched as she stared off into the distance with disinterest.

"That's the wrong answer, Patricia. Mrs. Andrews said the correct answer was-". His sentence was cut off when a hard text book hit him lightly in the head.

"Ow" he joked, rubbing the spot he had been hit.

The girl laughed freely and placed her school uniform jacket on the grass next to him and sat, "Take it like a man, Fabes." The girl beamed brightly at Patricia who answered her enthusiasm with a slight smile of amusement.

"Girls can be so mean" he murmured under his breath. "Did you finish your part of French homework, Joy?"

Joy, still holding the hard text book in hand, raised it over Fabian's head at his comment but immediately returned it to her lap when he turned around to face her. Patricia coughed to cover her laughter and pretended to be interested with something in her bag.

"Duh, silly goose. I always finish homework. That's me! Joy Mercer: A+ student, leader of Yearbook, in charge of preparations for dances and special events, and co-author and editor of our school newspapers. Now if I could only beat Amber at school president..."

She played with a few strands of brown hair that fell out of place. "I could have won last year," she continued unhappily, "If only Amber didn't have Jerome help her blackmail me."

Patricia nudged Joy's shoulder, "That's not 'Joy talk'. Joy is way over-her-head determined. You'll knock Amber out of the race this year when it comes to school president. Plus, you already know you've got two supporters who will vote for you."

She stood up, brushing the grass off of her skirt, as Fabian nodded in agreement. Joy's expression softened at her two closest friends.

"You guys are so sweet. Thanks!" Smiling warmly at both of them, her gaze lingering on Fabian's face.

Patricia cleared her throat.

Fabian looked up at Patricia who wore the same smirk she greeted him with previously. He slightly blushed and fumbled with his school bag and books. "We, um, er, better get to class. We wouldn't want detention."

"You go ahead. We'll catch up with you in a few minutes. I've got to talk to Joy about something anyway," piped Patricia, saving him.

Fabian gratefully took the save, "Alright. See you in class."

"What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Uh," Patricia scanned her thoughts for a reason, "Like my hair?"

"I love it. It definitely shows off your fiery side. By the way, cute outfit."

Patricia extended her hand to help Joy stand up which Joy took happily, almost yanking Patricia off balance. Joy was quick to change the subject.

"We totally have chemistry!" she squealed excitedly.

"Ugh" groaned Patricia, "Girl talk? You know how much that bores me."

Joy ignored Patricia's complaint, slung her school bag across her shoulder, and hooked her arms tightly with Patricia's.

"I think I should ask him to the next dance," Joy continued. Her face faltered in its expression. "Do you think that's too pushy? Maybe you should convince him to ask me! No. Wait. Perhaps I should.. I've got to think about this. We'll pass notes in class, yeah?"

Patricia stuck her tongue out. "Sure! And I'll make sure to purposely drop the note so the teacher has to make you read it in front of the whole class."

Both girls entered through the school's main doors, but the usual path to French class was interrupted by the presence of the principal. It was evident that he hadn't got enough sleep. The deep sags under his eyes gave it away.

"Joy? May I have a word with you in my office?" He wore a stiff smile. Like it was forced.

Joy shared a sad expression with Patricia which she tried weakly to cover up. Patricia saw right through her mask and immediately became suspicious to why her best friend was being called to the principal's office.

"Sure?" she answered, "Am I in trouble, Mr. Sweet?"

"Not at all!" he said, waving his hands in the air to exaggerate. "Let me explain." Mr. Sweet gestured towards his office, and Joy slowly followed him reluctantly.

"I'll see you later, Joy!" Patricia called out.

The bell rang and Patricia was instantly snapped away from her curious thoughts. "Bloody hell! I'm late," she murmured angrily as she stole a glance at her wrist watch. Patricia pushed and shoved her way through the crowd in the hallway cursing under her breath.

…

She brushed her light blond bangs away from her sky blue eyes and reapplied a new coating of strawberry vanilla lip gloss upon her soft, full lips. She stared at herself in her heart shaped mirror that she placed in her locker and blew a kiss at her reflection.

"Is it really necessary to do that, Amber?"

The blond tore her gaze away from her mirror and stared incredulously at her best friend. "Of course it is, Mara! Mick and I will be officially going out for a year in four months. It's really important I look my best so I don't lose him," she explained impatiently.

The people who walked past them exchanged funny looks with the two girls when overhearing Amber's part of the conversation.

"Sorry, it's just, you've been acting so paranoid about him lately. I've told you millions of times that you two are compatible."

Amber slammed the door to her locker shut and exhaled loudly. "I know, I know, but he has a lot of admirers. I just want other girls to know that they better stay away from him."

Mara ducked her head, causing her black curls to fall across her dark eyes, and suddenly became interested with her shoes.

Amber waited for Mara to respond with something encouraging, but Mara didn't say anything. "Uh, hello? A little encouragement would be nice. You're, like, my best girlfriend. You're super smart and you have the best natural curly hair in this school."

This was Amber's way of covering up her rudeness. Be rude. Then compliment. Mara was used to it, and she smiled slightly at Amber's last two sentences.

"You have nothing to worry about. You're text book gorgeous _and_ school president. How can he resist you?"

Amber nodded eagerly in agreement. "No one can resist me. I was just born that way."

"Um, Amber?"

"Yes, Mara?"

"That was a rhetorical question.. part of the encouragement part."

Amber arched a define eyebrow at Mara and then stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Oh. I knew that."

Mara took notice of the sandy blond haired guy that tip toed quietly behind Amber. He was average in stature, but the guys in Anubis House were much taller than him but not as wide and bulky. He placed his index finger to his lips, signaling for Mara to not give him away. Around his waist was a gray hooded jacket. The zipper made small jingling sounds that Amber was oblivious to.

He placed two strong and firm hands around Amber's eyes to block her view and whispered 'guess who' in her ear.

"Mick?"

"You guessed correctly, babe."

Mick wrapped his hand around her waist and leaned in for a kiss which Amber returned happily.

"Wait...did you just come back from gym class? If so, I just kissed a pair of sweaty lips!" She stared in horror at her boyfriend and leaned back to avoid physical contact.

Mick tightened his grip around Amber's waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Amber, we've dated long enough for me to not make that same mistake twice" he joked, glancing at Mara with his charming smile.

"Hey Mara, glad I caught you before class started because I wanted to talk to you about something important."

"What's up, Mick?"

"I'm having trouble in Biology class with the whole process of natural selection and evolution. I was wondering since you're the "Biology Babe" if you could be my study buddy?"

Mara's heart did a little flip, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Her heart was pounding so loud that she was afraid they could hear it. Pinching the skin on her hand, she realized who she was speaking to. Mick Campbell: star athlete, fastest male track runner, and boyfriend of one of the most popular girls in school. She felt Amber's intense glare bore into her skin.

"Of course. I'm always honored to help a friend in need."

"Why don't you ask me?" Amber demanded.

Mick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I thought you hated Biology."

"I do. Its just we have a date later today and-"

"Five minutes before class starts," warned Fabian as he quickly walked past the trio and into their first period.

Amber gaped at Fabian with her mouth open, upset that she was interrupted.

Mick softly chuckled at Amber's pout which he found adorable. He brought a finger to her chin to close her open mouth.

"I'll make it up to you, babe. If I don't start passing my classes we won't be able to have any more dates at all. I hope you understand how important this is and how I want to sustain our relationship."

He sweetly pecked Amber on the cheek and turned his attention towards Mara. "After supper today?"

Mara smiled, nodding in agreement.

Mick gave her a thumbs up with both of his hands before turning around to enter the classroom.

Amber's sweet and innocent charade disappeared as soon as Mick was out of ear shot.

"You and I need to talk after school, so I can set my conditions for your little sessions with _my _boyfriend."

Amber held her head high, flipped her blond locks over her shoulder, and strutted into the class room.

Mara slowly followed after Amber's footsteps in a pace that silently screamed she was not looking forward to conversing with Amber after school.

…

From downstairs, Patricia was repeatedly asking every student in the house whether they have seen Joy.

"Mara, have you seen Joy? I didn't see her all day after she talked with the principal."

Mara shook her head in reply. "I haven't. Why is she in the principal's office? Did she do something bad?"

"That's what I'd like to know," muttered Patricia, dragging her feet to the living room, "Why are we crowding around?"

Her question was answered when she took notice of the newcomer in the living room standing with Trudy.

"Who's she?" Patricia asked, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms across her chest.

"This is Nina Martin" said Trudy, introducing her to the students who gathered around the living room, "She's from America, so everyone slow down with their slang. She'll be your new roommate, Patricia."

Patricia's immediate reaction was one of pure anger and frustration.

"What! What do you mean new roommate? Where in bloody hell is Joy? Why is it no one can answer that one question," exploded Patricia, clenching her fists tightly until her knuckles became pale.

"...maybe she was abducted by aliens."

Patricia's hand, which was already clenched tightly, connected with Alfie's arm. Unfortunately, Alfie wasn't quick enough to tighten up for the impact resulting to a throbbing pain on his left arm. Alfie massaged his bicep and winced at the pain.

Patricia met the gaze of everyone in the room, "And you guys don't think that it isn't a little bit strange that this new girl came in right when Joy left the school?" She shot a desperate look in Mara's direction for some back-up but none was received.

"You guys don't believe me? Fine! Treat me like I'm crazy, but I'll prove my theory correct that this new girl must have something to do with Joy's disappearance."

"Patricia! Don't be so quick to judge," Fabian interfered.

Nina, on the other hand, didn't expect any of this at all as she stood there in utter confusion. _Being yelled at for some girl's disappearance?_

"This girl named Joy? Why she's not here? I have no idea what you're talking about. You can't all of a sudden point fingers at some mere coincidence. When I entered our room, the bed across from yours was vacant."

Everyone in the room stared at Nina as if she had grown another head. No one could win an argument with Patricia. But the way Nina defended herself gave Fabian the impression that the new girl would be a great person to get to know better.

Patricia narrowed her eyes into ice blue slits. "You've got some nerve, newbie. But the whole 'our room' situation is not going to work for me. Trudy, I don't want to share with her. She can sleep in the living room or outside for all I care."

The crowd in the room witnessing Patricia's furious meltdown quickly parted as soon as Patricia made her way to the entrance of the living room. The heels of her boots stomped loudly on each step of the stairway, and the door to the girl's wing slammed loudly.

"No slamming doors!" boomed Victor, marching out of his office, "Miss. Williamson, how many times have I told you to not slam-"

Patricia entered her room and another loud slam of a door was heard.

...


End file.
